This Valentine’s Day, Hunter Water invites communities to celebrate their love of water
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hunter Water is proud to share the love with the return of its Love Water Grants Program for 2026, offering $125,000 to support community-led projects that improve water efficiency, sustainability and wellbeing across the Lower Hunter.
Now in its ninth year, the program continues to support innovative local initiatives that deliver practical water-saving outcomes while strengthening community connections.
NSW Minister for Water, Rose Jackson, said programs like the Love Water Grants empower communities to turn good ideas into meaningful action.
“The Love Water Grants Program supports local solutions that save water, strengthen communities and help protect our environment for future generations,” Minister Jackson said.
Hunter Water Acting CEO, Jennifer Hayes, said the program reflects Hunter Water’s commitment to working alongside the community to build a more sustainable future.
“These grants are about backing people, businesses and community groups across the Lower Hunter who care about their communities and the vital role water plays in their environment.
“Each year we see inspiring ideas brought to life, from smarter water use to projects that deliver real social and environmental outcomes. We’re proud to help turn those ideas into reality,” Ms Hayes said.
Last year, The Groundswell Collective was one of 18 Love Water Grant recipients. Based in Lake Macquarie, the not-for-profit organisation brings people together to create a more sustainable future through community driven projects.
Their Grant went towards a rainwater tank at their Shelley Street Community Garden in Toronto. The volunteer-run site supports inclusion and wellbeing, with the community connecting through a love of gardening.
For Katie Ryan, the Collective’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement, the grant is helping to create climate resilience by reducing the garden’s reliance on drinking water, ensuring it can continue to supply fresh, locally grown produce to those in need.
“We applied for the Hunter Water grant to make Shelley Street Community Garden more sustainable. We needed a way to capture and store rainwater, and the grant made it possible to purchase a tank, pump and guttering so we can now collect rain from our garden sheds.
“It has allowed our garden to be more independent with our water supply and reduce our use of mains water. We’ve also installed an off-grid solar system to power the pump, meaning we can now run power tools, recharge the electric mower and even boil the kettle for morning tea,” Ms Ryan said.
Hunter Water is offering grants of up to $10,000 to eligible community groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations with projects that align with a shared love of water.
Applications for the 2026 Love Water Grants Program are open until 11:59pm, Sunday 15 March.
